Shloka 3
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 106: Pūrva-Diśa Praśaṃsā
Praise and Primacy of the Eastern Quarter
कुत: पुष्टानि मित्राणि कुतोर्डर्था: संचय: कुतः । हयानां चन्द्रशु भ्राणां शतान्यष्टौ कुतो मम,“मेरे ऐसे मित्र कहाँ, जो धनसे पुष्ट हों? मुझे कहाँसे धन प्राप्त होगा? कहाँ मेरे लिये धन संग्रह करके रखा हुआ है? और कहाँसे मुझे चन्द्रमाके समान श्वेतवर्णवाले आठ सौ घोड़े प्राप्त होंगे?
kutaḥ puṣṭāni mitrāṇi kuto 'rthāḥ saṃcayaḥ kutaḥ | hayānāṃ candraśubhrāṇāṃ śatāny aṣṭau kuto mama ||
Nārada said: “From where will I obtain friends strengthened by wealth? From where will resources come to me, and from where will there be any store of accumulated riches? And from where, for my sake, will I obtain eight hundred horses, white and radiant like the moon?”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a pragmatic ethical insight of statecraft: alliances and large undertakings require material support. Friendship and political backing often depend on resources, and without means one cannot easily secure allies or fulfill demanding obligations.
Nārada voices a concern about feasibility—questioning where he could obtain wealthy supporters, gather funds, and procure a large number of high-quality white horses—underscoring the logistical and economic realities behind major plans in the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations.